Durable-Goods Orders
Declined by 2.3% in April

By

Alejandro Bodipo-Memba Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

Updated May 27, 1999 9:53 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON -- New orders for manufactured durable goods fell an unexpected 2.3% in April from the month before, to $194.4 billion, due largely to a sharp decline in bookings for aircraft, autos and defense equipment.

The Commerce Department said the decline in orders for durable goods, which are items built to last at least three years, followed a 2.7% rise in March. The index last fell in February, by 3.9%.